The present invention relates to systems for supporting and hanging pipes and other loads on rooftops.
It is common in a commercial industrial environment to have various operating pipes, conduits, and other equipment positioned on and extending along the ground or over the tops of roofs. For example, these pipes and conduits may be connected to an air conditioning unit positioned on a building roof.
Frequently the pipes carry fluids which have operating temperatures fluctuating over a wide range. As the temperature of the fluids carried by the pipes changes the pipes will expand or contract accordingly. Typically, the pipes may expand and contract greatly. Therefore, the support for these pipes as they run over the ground and/or over a roof must sustain the pipe load but also must be sufficiently flexible to withstand the expansion and contraction caused by fluctuations in operating parameters and the prevailing weather.
On a building roof it was common practice for operating pipes to be supported by blocks of wood. The blocks are placed at intervals along the pipe track and fit between the roof surface and the pipes. Due to the large contact surface area between the blocks and a pipe the blocks are frequently moved as the pipes expand and contract. Over a period of time, the movement of the blocks against a roof surface damage the roof. This usually resulted in a leak and required expensive roof repair. One solution used to prevent block movement was to mechanically secure the block to the roof. However, mechanical attachment such as nailing the block to the roof has been shown to deteriorate in a relatively short time period. The blocks then break loose and a leak occurs at the attachment holes. Another alternative is to penetrate the roof with a vehicle post which is attached to the building structure Invariably the seal between the roof and the post will fail resulting in a leak.
In the roof environment, utilizing fixed bases would require holes to be placed in the roof surface. As discussed above, holes lead to leaks, a definite disadvantage of fixed bases. In general, fixed bases also lack flexibility for adjustment during set-up and use, and therefore are expensive to install.
Thus, a non-affixed base for supporting rooftop equipment has been developed in the prior art which includes a substantially flat bottom having a support structure rising from the base. The bases that have been developed typically have a plurality of recesses for attaching devices which interface and connect the pipe with the base. Some recesses generally have smooth walls, and other recesses have expensive threaded metal inserts for receiving fasteners. Although these prior art non-affixed bases fulfill their intended purpose, they are not easily adaptable for attaching a variety of load interfacing devices such as bolts and brackets having different threads, attachment requirements and corrosion resistance characteristics.
Therefore, a need exists for a new and improved non-fixed portable base for supporting pipes and other equipment and is reconfigurable for attaching a variety of interfacing bracketry and support devices thereto.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a portable support base which may be reconfigured to receive a variety of pipe and other equipment support and interface bracketry.
In accordance with this and other objects, the present invention provides a support base for distributing a concentrated load over a contact surface. The support base includes a body formed of moldable polymeric material having a top surface and a generally planar bottom surface. At least one recess integrally formed in the top surface for receiving a support member wherein the support member transfers the concentrated load to the planar body. Furthermore, at least one through bore is provided in the support base, and the through bore extends from the top surface to the bottom surface of the support base for receiving a fastener. The through bore has a shaft portion and a relatively oversized cavity portion adjacent to the bottom surface for receiving fasteners such as nuts for securing bolts, as well as, bolt heads of different sizes, configurations and materials.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a support base is provided for distributing a concentrated load. The support base has a body formed of moldable polymeric material having a top surface and a generally planar bottom surface. A recess is integrally formed in the top surface for receiving a support member wherein the support member transfers the concentrated load to the planar body. An inner pair of through bores extend from the top surface to the bottom surface for receiving a fastener. The inner pair of through bore having a shaft portion and a relatively oversized cavity portion adjacent to the bottom surface. An outer pair of through bores extend from the top surface to the bottom surface for receiving a fastener. The through bores have a shaft portion and a relatively oversized cavity portion adjacent to the bottom surface.
The above objects and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention are readily apparent from the following detailed description of the best mode for carrying out the invention when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.